Synergistic Efficiency of TiO₂-GO Nanocomposite Membranes in Dye Degradation for Sustainable Water Pollution Remedy

This study addresses the critical environmental issue of dye wastewater pollution by developing innovative nanocomposite membranes for water treatment. TiO₂-GO nanocomposites were synthesized via a hydrothermal method and incorporated into polyether sulfone membranes using the non-solvent-induced phase separation technique. The developed membranes exhibited improved hydrophilicity and mechanical properties. The membranes’ photocatalytic efficacy was tested using methyl orange (MO), a model recalcitrant dye, under UV irradiation. The highest photocatalytic activity was reached with the PES-GO-TiO₂ membrane (68.6%) compared to the photocatalytic activity of membrane loaded with TiO₂ (48%) or GO (43.5%) (using the same filler amount). The superior photocatalytic activity of GO-TiO₂ was due to the graphene oxide capacity to avoid a fast electron-hole recombination. The membranes’ strong antifouling and reusability, coupled with a consistent FRR% (85%) make them ideal candidates for sustainable industrial wastewater treatment. These findings open new avenues for advanced membrane technologies in environmental remediation, offering improved efficiency and sustainability.